Satellite photos show 3-pronged push by Israeli troops into Gaza

Israeli troops have pushed into Gaza City along a key coastal road on the Mediterranean Sea as part of their war on Hamas, according to satellite images from earlier this week analysed on Thursday (November 9) by The Associated Press.

The images show previous positions of Israeli tanks and armoured personnel carriers on one of three axes of attack used to cut the city off from the rest of the Gaza Strip.

Monday's images show Israeli forces just about a kilometer north of the Shati refugee camp, a dense neighbourhood adjacent to Gaza City's centre.

Their position corresponds with what witnesses in Gaza City have told the AP, whose reporters continue to work in the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, one witness told the AP he saw Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas close to Shifa Hospital, which is some 3 kilometers from the position Israeli forces held on Monday.

After ordering civilians out of Gaza City, Israeli soldiers have moved on Gaza City from three positions.

They cut across the southern edge of the city all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, two other forces have pushed in from the north, with forces around Beit Hanoun to the east and forces seen in the satellite images along the Mediterranean, to the west, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

With journalists outside the city unable to enter, gathering independent information about what's going on remains difficult. Apart from videos and images on social media, the growing supply of satellite imagery from commercial companies has become increasingly valuable for reporting on closed-off areas and countries.